Wireless communication systems typically include wireless access systems with equipment such as wireless access nodes along with various control and routing nodes that provide wireless access to communication services for wireless communication devices over wireless links. A typical wireless communication system includes systems to provide wireless access across a geographic region, with wireless coverage areas associated with individual wireless access nodes. The wireless access systems exchange user communications between wireless communication devices, service providers, and other end user devices. The user communications typically include voice calls, data exchange, web pages, streaming media, or text messages, among other communication services.
Within the wireless communication systems, interfaces are used to communicate between radio equipment control (REC) and radio equipment (RE). One such interface is Common Public Radio Interface or CPRI. CPRI is an initiative to provide interoperability of equipment from different vendors, but to allow software investment for the different wireless service providers. Typically, conventional base stations are located adjacent to an antenna at the base of the antenna tower. However, finding suitable sites can be a challenge because of the footprints required for the base stations, the need for structural reinforcement of rooftops, and the availability of both primary and backup power sources.
Instead of placing the base station at the bottom of the antenna, CPRI allows a distributed architecture where base stations, containing the REC, are connected to remote radio heads via fibre links that carry the CPRI data. Thus, the REC may be placed in one central, convenient location, while the radio equipment may be placed in remote areas that are sensitive to base stations.